Oral Exercises For Tonsillectomy/Adenoidectomy

Some children may use a nasal voice following surgery in an effort to avoid pain. This is caused by limiting movement of the muscles near the surgical site. These exercises are designed to help your child exercise those muscles in a fun way in order to regain maximum movement following surgery.

These exercises should begin before surgery and continue after surgery, when your child’s physician has approved increased exercise of the muscles. Begin slowly (1 or 2 times each exercise, once a day.) Increase length of practice as tolerated by your child. Goal should be to practice 8-10 minutes twice a day.

• Blow bubbles. When introduced to bubble blowing, children may not initially have the breath support to blow a bubble through the wand. If someone catches a bubble, it is easier to blow if off the wand. As the bubble floats down, blow it back up again.

• Blow out candles

• Blow cotton balls and feathers. Turn a paper cup over and place a cotton ball on top and blow it off, or blow cotton balls across the table through a straw.

• Blow a scarf off your face, horns, whistles, noisemakers, harmonicas and party favors.

• Say “ahh” and hold it as long as you can.

• Sing “eiei oooo” from Old Macdonald had a farm.

• Say “ahee” as any times as you can.

• Say “coca-cola” five times.

• Say “key, key, key” five times.